Your Right to Know

Baseball and hockey fans visiting Huntington Park or Nationwide Arena could face more traffic
snarls beginning next month as the city plans to start a $2.2 million project to replace
underground waterlines and install new fire hydrants in the Arena District.

The Columbus City Council approved a contract last night with Trucco Construction Co. of
Delaware, Ohio, to rip up portions of Spring and Hocking streets near Nationwide Boulevard and
replace the 100-year-old waterlines.

About 2,200 feet of lines and two water mains will be replaced throughout the next year, said
Laura Young Mohr, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Public Utilities. The project is funded
through rates paid by the city’s water and sewer customers.

“There will be minimal disruptions to the general traveling public,” Mohr said. “There will be
traffic disruptions at Spring and Hocking but (those) will (happen) at night to minimize the
impact.”

Five fire hydrants also will be installed to serve new developments in and around the Arena
District.

The city has spent the past several years replacing old lines that continue to rupture and cause
leaks. Mohr said the new lines and water mains will be good for 100 years.

The city received seven bids for the project, ranging from $2.2 million to $3.1 million. Trucco
offered the lowest and best bid and has no major federal or state issues, according to city
documents.

Besides the aging lines, part of the work will be to move some of the lines off private property
where future development is slated. City officials said there are no concrete development plans for
the area west of Huntington Park at the moment.

The city also will spend nearly $1 million on a separate project to repaint the inside of two
above-ground water tanks. The city is contracting with American Suncraft Co. of Medway, Clark
County, to repaint tanks on the West Side and the East Side.

The tanks hold close to 2 million gallons of water and must be repainted to protect from
corrosion, Mohr said. There are 37 above-ground tanks in the city. Two are repainted each year.

The city received five bids for the work, ranging from about $920,000 to $1.6 million. The money
used for this project also comes from rates paid by the city’s water and sewer customers.